Manufacture of tubular products



Oct. 9, 1945. F. c. BROWNE MANUFACTURE OF TUBULAR PRODUCTS Filed Oct. 22, 1941 Jmaentor FRANCIS 6. BROWNE attorney Patented Oct. 9, 1945 MANUFACTURE OF TUBULAR PRODUCTS Francis C. Browne, Cleveland, Ohio, asslgnor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland,.0hio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 22, 1941, Serial No. 416,089

Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of tubular products; more particularly, tubular products formed of helically wound strip material.

In the manufacture of helically wound tubular products such as mailing tubes, covering tubes, fiber containers, etc., it is customary to wind the strip material from which the product is to be made onto a mandrel in a series of overlapping turns. Meanwhile the tube is advanced longitudinally of its aXis either by applying a tractive force to the exterior of the tube while causing the mandrel to rotate or, less simply, by imparting an axial movement to the mandrel itself. If a tractive force applied to the exterior of the tube is employed to bring about an advance of the material, an impositive movement results due to sliding friction between the tube and the mandrel; moreover, the surface of the tube is likely to suffer from tearing, scuffing or other damage from the means providing the tractive force.

By the present invention, a novel apparatus comprised of a plurality of members is provided by which a tubular product made of strip material is axially advanced over the periphery of the members. The apparatus partly employs the principle of a device of the kind commonly referred to as a thread-advancing device. Such a device is particularly useful in supporting a helically wound tubular product during and after its formation, which may conveniently be by a continuous process. However, the invention is not limited to the manipulation of such tubular products as are formed continuously, for

various other kinds of tubular articles, including preformed tubular products, may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The device employed for the purposes of the present invention may conveniently partially take the form of a thread-advancing reel of the type employed to store thread in spaced, substantielly helical turns. Such a reel constitutes at one and the same time supporting and advancing means for the tubular product. As will be apparent from the drawing, the preferred form of device is one which employs the principle disclosed in the Knebusch Patent No. 2,225,642 for axially advancing strip material over its periphery; if desired, however, advancing devices based on other principles may be employed instead.

In the drawing, Figure l is an isometric view of one form of tube-forming apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention, such apparatus being adapted to form tubular products continuously from any suitable stripmaterial. Figure 2 is a plan, on an enlarged scale, of the reel forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-section of the reel, on the same enlarged scale, taken from line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a similar cross-section taken from line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1, the tube-forming assembly is mounted on bench 5. Power for the apparatus is supplied by motor 6 connected to an electric power source I which motor actuates a change speed mechanism 8 made up of gearing enclosed within a suitable housing 9. Associated with change speed mechanism 8 are knobs l0 and I I, of which the former serves as manual adjusting means for the speed of the output shaft of the change speed mechanism while the latter controls the operation of the cutting means hereinafter described.

Formed in the upper portion of housing 9 of change speed mechanism 8 is a mounting I2 provided with an annular shoulder 4 which mounting is designed to accommodate a flange l3 (Figure 2) comprising part of the supporting structure of reel [4. Flange I3 is held rigidly in place against shoulder 4 by four bolts l5 threaded through the outer rim of mounting l2. Because of its cantilever construction, rigid supporting means are required to support the reel in operative relation to the motor comprising the source a of power.

An upright member l6 holding the supply of strip material is mounted on bench 5 in such manner as to permit the strip material to contact reel l4 tangentially. A horizontally disposed spindle l1 attached to upright l6 accommodates one or more rolls of strip material l8, i9, 20, all of which are adapted to rotate freely as strip material is withdrawn therefrom. A plurality of metal separator disks 2| to 26, inclusive, the number depending upon the number of rolls of strip material employed, are loosely mounted on spindle H.

In assembling the supply apparatus, separator disks 2! and 22 are mounted on spindle I! on opposite sides of the first roll of strip material l8.

A spacer (not shown) which takes the form of a.

ring is placed upon spindle I! so as to form a space 21 between separator disk 22 and separator disk 23 associated with a second roll of strip material l9. Another similar spacer (not shown) is inserted between separator disk 24, associated with the second roll of strip material l9, and separator disk 25, associated with a third roll of 2 strip material 20 so as to provide a space therebetween. After adding the remaining separator disk 23, lock nut 23 is threaded on the outermost end of spindle l1 and secures the entire assembly while permitting it to rotate freely with respect to said spindle.

From supply rolls I8, I3, 20, the strip material is passed between two rollers 30, 3| rotatably mounted on upright It just below the supply roll assembly: such rollers serve to apply adhesive to the strips as they pass therebetween. After passing between rollers 30; 3|, strip material from roll l8 contacts the periphery of reel l4 near its supported end, forming thereon a helix or overlapping turns which acts asthefoundation for an intermediate ply of strip material from supply roll l3. On the intermediate ply so formed is superimposed a third ply oi helically wound strip material drawn from supply roll 20.

The supply apparatus is adapted to take as many additional supply sources as may be required to produce the desired number of plies in the finished product.

Rollers 30, 3| are supplied with a liquid adhesive from a suitable source (not shown) by means of tubes 32 which extend axially through said rollers. In order to control the application of the liquid by rollers 30, 3|, each of said rollers is divided into segments 33, 34, 35, corresponding in number to that of the strips employed. Liquid may thus be applied as desired to either or both surfaces of the strip material by employing, for example, a segment in one roller which is of highly porous material and a corresponding segment in the other roller which is impervious.

It is obviously desirable to have the inner surface of the tubular member free of adhesive, for otherwise it could be advanced along the reel only with difllculty. Accordingly, segment 33 of roller is made of impervious material while like segment 33 of roller 3| is made of porous material.

If, as in the arrangement illustrated in the drawing, an intermediate ply is formed, segments 34 of both rollers 30 and 3| are used to apply adhesive to the intermediate strip so that a positive bond will be obtained with both the inner and outer plies. Since it is preferable that adhesive be applied solely to the inner surface of the material from roll 20, segment 35 of roller 30 is made porous while the corresponding segment of roller 3| is made non-porous.

As the resulting tubular element 38 is advanced toward the right in Figure 1, it comes into contact with the first of two supports 31. Each support 31 comprises generally a vertical standard having at its upper end a semi-circular portion 38 within which is mounted a series of ball bearings.

The diameter of semi-circular portion 38 is preferably slightly larger than that of the periphery of reel l4 to render the supports adaptable for use with tubular products having different wall thicknesses. Supports of the type illustrated are advantageous for the reason that the tubular element 36 moves in both a radial and axial direction due to the operation of reel l4.

Cooperating-with reel H of the apparatus of 'Figure 1 is a cutter 33 which comprises a circular blade 40, a cutter arm 4|, and a shaft 42 supported from bench 5 by a bracket 43. Blade is preferably rotatably mounted on the end of cutter arm 4| in order that it may rotate with tubular element 36 as the cutting operation proceeds. Shaft 42, upon which cutter arm 4! is mounted, is actuated by gearing associated with change speed mechanism 3. AdJustment of knob sets the gearing in motion, bringing blade 43 into contact with tubular element 33 to initiate the cutting operation.

The gearing engaged by adjustment of knob ll rotates shaft 42 radially so as to bring blade 40 into contact with tubular element 36, Simultaneously, the mechanism moves blade 40 in a directim parallel to the axis and toward the unsupported end of reel l4 at a rate in conformity with the axial movement of tubular element 36, thus severing tubular element 38 in a plane at right angles to its longitudinal axis. On completion of the cutting operation, blade is automatically moved out of contact with tubular element 33 and returned to the starting position in readiness for the next cutting operation.

After the tubular element 38 has been cut into the desired length, it continues to advance along the reel toward the unsupported end thereof, the severed portion of said tubular element being temporarily supported by the second of supports 31.

Reel I4 is illustrated in detail in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The reel comprises a concentric member 45 and an eccentric member 48, both preferably of aluminum. The former member is so designated because it is mounted in concentric relation to the axis of shaft 44, which is connected to the output shaft of change speed mechanism 8. Eccentric member 43 is eccentrically mounted in that it is adapted to rotate about an axis inclined to concentric member 45 in a plane offset from but parallel to the plane of the axis of said concentric member.

As will be noted from Figure 2 of the drawing, bar members 41 forming slots between them of concentric reel member 45 extend axially of reel 4 for a short distance from the supported end of the reel, after which they merge to form reel portion 43. The latter helps to support tubular element 36 during its advance along the periphery of the device. A shallow annular groove 50 is formed in reel portion 48 adjacent the zone of operation of cutter 33. During the cutting operation, blade 40 of cutter 33 registers with annular groove 50 to prevent contact between blade 40 and reel portion 43.

Shaft 44, upon which concentric reel member 45 is mounted, is preferably made hollow in order that heat may be supplied to reel portion 49 to assist in bonding together the strip materials employed in forming tubular element 36. Any suitable method of supplying heat to said shaft may be employed, such, for example, as the introduction thereinto of steam, hot air or hot water. For convenience of illustration, Figure 2 shows an electrical heating element 5| which extends axially of reel portion 49 for a distance roughly corresponding to the length of the heating zone required to complete the bonding operation. To assist in preventing the needless escape of heat from the end of reel portion 49, a cap 32 is threaded into its unsupported end.

Rotatably mounted about boss portion I3 of flange I3 is supporting member 53, the axis of which is disposed in offset and inclined relation to the axis of shaft 44. Eccentric member 46 is secured to supporting member 33 as by means of bolts 54. Bar members 43 of eccentric member 43 fit into the slots formed by bar members 41 and extend axially of reel l4 as a whole for only a short distance from the supported end thereof, such distance corresponding in length to the length of the slots formed by the bar members 41. Rotation of shaft 44 drives concentric reel member 45 which in turn actuates eccentric reel member 46 by bar-to-bar contact between bar members 41 and 48.

In the operation of the apparatus, the strip material used in forming the tubular member is wound about the reel in overlapping helical turns. The amount of overlapping depends upon the width of the strip material and the pitch of the helix. ,Bar members 41 of concentric reel member 45 support the overlapping turns during part of the revolution of the reel. Bar members 48 of eccentric reel member 46 carry the overlapping turns through the rest of the revolution. As a result, the tubular article is advanced lengthwise of the reel as a whole.

While the apparatus hereina-bove described is particularly suitable for handling tubular products, other apparatus substantially similar thereto may be employed instead. For instance, it is not always necessary that the concentric membershall extend beyond the end of the eccentric member to provide satisfactory results. Also, if it appears advantageous to do so, a reel which increases or decreases in cross sectional diameter may be used. It is of course possible to employ suitable auxiliary apparatus for coating, heating, scraping or otherwise treating the tubular material, either while it is supported on the reel or after it has passed beyond the limits of the reel itself.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of a tubular article by winding strip material in overlapping helical turns, the improvement in means for supporting and positively advancing the tubular article in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis comprising a cylindrical member mounted for rotation, one end of which is characterized by a periphery having a plurality of acterized by a periphery having a plurality of axially spaced slots, a second member of generally circular cross section having a periphery of a plurality of axially extending bars adapted to fit in the slots of said cylindrical member, said second member being mounted for rotation about an axis that is ofiset and inclined to the axis of said cylindrical member and adapted to positively advance the tubular article over the periphery of said cylindrical member; in combination with auxiliary supporting means cooperating with said cylindrical member, and cutting means for severing the tubular article when it has reached the desired length.

4. In an apparatus for the manufacture of a tubular article by winding strip material in overlapping helical turns, the improvement in means for supporting and positively advancing the tubular article in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis comprising a cylindrical member mounted for rotation, one end of which is characterized by a periphery having a plurality of axially spaced slots, a second member of generally circular cross section having a periphery of a plurality of axially extending bars adapted to fit in said slots of said cylindrical member, said second member being mounted for rotation about an axis that is offset and inclined to the axis of said-cylindrical member and adapted to positively advance the tubular article over the periphery of said cylindrical member, said cylindrical member being provided with an annular recess; and an adjacent cutting means having a cutter adapted to be received by said annular recess in said cylindrical member for severing the tubular article into,predetermined lengths.

5. In an apparatus for the manufacture of a tubular article by winding strip material in overlapping helical turns, the improvement in means for supporting and positively advancing the tubular article in a direction parallel to it longitudinal axis comprising a cylindrical member mounted for rotation, one end of which is characterized by a periphery having a plurality of axially spaced slots, a second member of generally circular cross section having a periphery of a plurality of axially extending bars adapted to fit in said slots of said cylindrical member, said second member being mounted for rotation about an axis that is offset and inclined to the axis of said cylindrical member and adapted to positively advance the tubular article over the periphery of said cylindrical member.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 in which said cylindrical member is provided internally with a heated means.

3. In an apparatus for the manufacture of a tubular artcle by winding strip material in overlapping helical turns, the improvement in means for supporting and positively advancing the tubu-- lar article in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis comprising a cylindrical member mounted for rotation, one end of which is charplurality of axially extending bars adapted to lit in said slots of said cylindrical member, said second member being mounted for rotation about an axis that is offset and inclined to the axi of said cylindrical member and adapted to positively advance the tubular article over the periphery of said cylindrical member, said cylindrical member being provided with an annular recess; external supporting means for said cylindrical member permitting lateral movement of the tubular article; heating means in said cylindrical member; and adjacent cutting means automatically cooperating with the second member for cutting the tubular article into predetermined sections, said cutting means being adapted to be moved into said annular recess.

FRANCIS C. BROWNE. 

